The rest of the trail was steeper than the bumps in the carriage, and I was prepared, but the man behind me kept holding me hard, using his own body to soften the impact of the bumps. When the horse climbed the steep mountain road, I could always feel his thick chest clinging to me tightly, and when the horse swooped down, I could feel his hand around my waist so that I would not be in danger of falling forward.

Along the way, I wasn't sad.

But I know that he who protects me like this must be more uncomfortable than anyone else around him.

The wind blew on the white veil around the hat, ironing my cheeks in bursts, some cold, some ****, but I was always silent.

When we got off the carriage, it was already noon the next day, and we galloped for another day, only resting for two or three hours on the way, and finally on the afternoon of the third day, we arrived at the mouth of the Jiujiang River.

At this time, the sky was full of dark clouds, as if to crush the whole heaven and earth, and the wind was bitter, blowing the dead grass all over the mountains and fields, and fell to the ground. As soon as Pei Yuanxiu got off the horse, he carefully took me off the horse, and left his arms, and immediately felt the cold pressing, blowing me to shrink for a while, and I really felt that this winter may not be over yet.

As soon as I looked up, I saw a swarthy col in front of me.

The road here is even more dangerous, the horses can no longer get on it, and you can even vaguely see arrows stuck in several places on the way up the mountain, shining in the wind.

Before we dismounted, there were already people stationed here, and as soon as those advance soldiers saw Pei Yuanxiu, they immediately came over, Pei Yuanxiu supported me with one hand, and turned to face them: "How is the situation?" ”

A man dressed as a lieutenant replied: "Childe, they still refuse to let go." ”

As soon as I heard this, my heart sank.

Pei Yuanxiu clenched my hand, and said quietly: "Have you found out, who are those people?" ”

"The subordinates sent people to the surrounding states and counties to inquire, and I heard that these people were originally rogues and made trouble everywhere in the Jiujiang area, but because they were numerous, and the terrain here was easy to defend and difficult to attack, the government sent people to encircle and suppress it several times, and there was no way to clear it out, so they could only make trouble for a while, and the government fought for a while. I heard that it was their nest. ”

"What have you done besides all this news?"

"Huh?"

The man froze for a moment, unable to speak. Pei Yuanxiu's face was cold, and he said, "It's just a rogue who can actually hijack the people who escort the young lady." You've been here for a day, and you've accomplished nothing. ”

His voice was still very calm, and there was no angry tone, but when the people around him heard this, they all fell to their knees and hurriedly said, "Childe forgive your sins!" ”

When I saw this scene, I could only gently pull his sleeve: "Childe ......"

His face was pale, but it gave people a sense of oppression that was not angry and self-threatening, but when he turned to me, the corners of his eyes softened, and he said softly, "What's wrong?" I saw that those people knelt on the ground, and I could only help them and say: "There is a reason for it, don't blame them, son, first figure out what is going on, and then talk about it." ”

Only then did Pei Yuanxiu ease his breath, nodded at me, and then turned around and said, "Get up." ”

"Gongzi Xie, Mrs. Xie Qingying."

Although I helped those people intercede, my heart was not relaxed, but I was also a little surprised by his words just now.

I haven't seen Li'er these days, but there is medicine Lao Lao, I still talk to him often, listen to him say some things about Li'er when he was a child, I can feel from his words that Pei Yuanxiu loves Li'er very much, and every year if he is free, he will personally send her to the temple to fast, even if he can't go, the people who accompany Li'er are also carefully selected, and she must be protected.

This time, these people were robbed by a group of rogues, which was already a big surprise, and what I didn't expect was that Pei Yuanxiu had already sent people over, and it could be seen along the way that these people were well-behaved, fierce, and well-trained soldiers, but they couldn't even deal with a gang of gangsters!

The situation seems to be more complicated than I thought.

I slowly walked a few steps forward with my hat in my hand, and looked up along the mountain road, which was a steep mountain wall, and the rocks falling from the height blocked the surrounding path, and there was only a narrow passage to pass. This kind of road is easy to defend and difficult to attack, a man is a pass that is not open for ten thousand people, no wonder they have no achievements, if you want to ensure their safety, you must not dare to attack, but to outwit, such a road is really not our way of life.

I became more and more anxious, turned around and walked back, and said, "Can I talk to them?" ”

I haven't forgotten the money that Pei Yuanxiu prepared before he set off, if these rogues want money, it will be too easy.

The lieutenant hurriedly said, "We also tried to talk to those people, but the people inside refused to talk to us at all. ”

"Oh?"

"The man we sent to talk to was shot and wounded by them as soon as he arrived at the intersection."

When Pei Yuanxiu heard this, his brows furrowed.

I also felt uneasy in my heart.

We all know too well the behavior of ordinary rogues, it is one word - money!

If they knew Li'er's identity and knew that they could get a large sum of money by hijacking her, then things would be easy to do, but now it seems that those people are not in it for money.

What are you going to do if you're not a rogue?

I didn't expect that when I got here, I would end up in an impasse.

The wind in the mountains was very strong, blowing my clothes in the wind, and even the hat was almost blown away several times, Pei Yuanxiu stood behind me to block the wind, and then said: "Did you send someone to detour in from the side to see what the situation is inside?" ”

"Hui Gongzi, this mountain wall is too long for our people to bypass at all. Therefore, the subordinates planned to send another person in. ”

"Who?"

"I heard that this gang of rogues is also divided into two teams, one team is in charge of the mountain road, and the leader is called the mountain tiger; A team is in charge of the waterways, and the leader is called the water dragon. That water dragon's subordinate has already sent someone to arrest him, and he is on the way, ready to let him open the way and lead our people into the mountain. ”

"Oh."

I heard that there was a way, so I was a little less anxious, so I waited with Pei Yuanxiu. I just thought that what they wanted to catch was the leader of the bandits here after all, and it was not so easy in the end, but after waiting for a while, I heard a noisy sound on the mountain road behind, and when I looked back, there was a group of people escorting a group of people towards this side. The two generals in the lead escorted a thin man and quickly walked in front of Pei Yuanxiu.

"Childe, this is the leader of the water bandits, the water dragon!"

Pei Yuanxiu was originally standing with his hands in his hands, looking at the mountain road above, and when he heard this, he slowly turned around.

That's what I just said, the leader of the waterways, the water dragon.

This man is only in his thirties, his body is thin, he does not look like a water dragon, but like a loach in the water, with a mustache at the corner of his mouth, and a pair of mouse eyes are round, and he looks like a thief elf. was arrested and did not resist, the attitude was extremely deferential, especially when he was escorted here, as soon as he saw Pei Yuanxiu in front of the camp, he immediately fell to the ground and begged for mercy, only saying that he had eyes and did not know Mount Tai, and he did not know where to collide with the nobleman's words.

It seems that he also knows that he has kicked the iron plate.

I watched from the sidelines, and although I was relieved, I was somehow shocked.

This water dragon, I don't know how powerful he is, but listening to the deputy general just now, he is also the leader of a water bandit, and he can deal with the people in the government for so long, and his strength should not be underestimated; And Pei Yuanxiu's people were able to take his nest and arrest everyone back within two days, which shows how strong his naval army is in combat!

Thinking back to the water military camp on the south bank of the Yangtze River, I feel more and more heavy in my heart.

But at the moment, I can't think too much, listening to the sound of the water dragon begging for mercy, Pei Yuanxiu didn't have a good face for such a person, and only said coldly: "Let me ask you, the bandit leader in this mountain, called the mountain tiger, is a brother with you?" ”

"Yes, yes, yes." Shui Long hurriedly said: "The little one knows him. ”

"How much do you know about what he does?"

"Adult, the little one is divided with him on the dry road and waterway, what he does, the little one really doesn't know."

"And you're still brothers?"

"Hehe, my lord, brother on the road, isn't it just a sentence to the end." Shui Long raised his head and said with a flattering smile: "The little one has had a little friendship with him, but in the past half a year, we have done our own things, and he doesn't have much contact with the small one. What he did this time, he really didn't know anything about it! ”

"Oh?"

"The small sentences are true, and I don't dare to have half a lie."

Pei Yuanxiu raised his head and glanced at me, I didn't speak, only bit my lower lip gently.

Although the water dragon is cunning, it can be seen that what he said just now is at least eighty or ninety percent true. What the mountain tiger did was really strange.

I thought about it for a moment and stepped forward and said, "If we want you to go in and talk to the mountain tiger, can you do it?" ”

"Yes, yes, of course!" Shui Long nodded like pounding garlic, and hurriedly said, "Madam, what do you want to say, just explain." Although the little one is not familiar with him, he can still say a sentence or two. ”

Pei Yuanxiu narrowed his eyes slightly, and said: "You go in and sue him, as long as he is willing to let go of the robber, no matter what conditions he wants, I will promise him." But, if he hurts anyone in the slightest-" Speaking of this, his slightly narrowed eyes revealed a little coldness: "I will make him regret not doing it at the beginning!" ”

As soon as his words came out, people like Rao is water dragon also shuddered.

After being stunned for a long time, Shui Long stammered: "Little ...... The small, the little one knows. ”

As he spoke, he looked at my face, and seemed to have figured out a little way, and said again and again: "This mountain tiger really eats the gall of an ambitious leopard, and he dares to move even the people of the son and the wife, the little one must let him kneel out and kowtow to the son's wife, let him-"

"Alright."

Pei Yuanxiu and I didn't bother to listen to him, and the deputy general next to him interrupted him with a wave of his hand, lifted him up by the collar, and said, "Our two brothers went in with you." If you dare to talk nonsense, be careful! ”

"Don't dare, don't dare!"

The water dragon shrunk into a ball in the hands of the lieutenant general, which was somewhat funny, but at this time, no one was in the mood to make fun of him.

I watched the other two soldiers follow behind him in full gear, and the three of them walked slowly up the mountain road, in fact, I also knew that letting the water dragon go in to spread the word was not reliable at all, this kind of person was just talking to people, and talking nonsense, if he really wanted to let him into the bandits' den, how could he still help us do things. It's just to borrow him to open the way, let the people here in, as long as you can talk to the people inside, know what they are going to do, and see if they are in danger, so that you can think about what to do next.

Because the deputy general also told us before, several times they went along the mountain road, wanting to explore the reality inside, were conspired by the cold arrows shot inside, either dead or injured, water dragon such an elf person, as soon as he saw those arrows on the side of the road, he also knew how much the previous danger, just walked up not far and said loudly: "Brother Mountain Tiger, it's me!" ”

……

"Brother Mountain Tiger, it's me, I'm coming to see you."

……

"Brother Mountain Tiger, be careful!"

His voice echoed among the mountain walls, and as they slowly approached the intersection in front of them, everyone's hearts hung in the air, but until they reached the junction, no cold arrow was fired.

My eyes looked inside without blinking, I only felt cold sweat on my back, Pei Yuanxiu watched from the side, and his face was always calm: "Don't worry." ”

I didn't speak, just looked at him, then nodded slightly.

In a moment, the water dragon and they had already arrived at the intersection, he cautiously glanced inside, and there was really no cold arrow coming out, so he relieved his heart and shouted inside: "Brother Mountain Tiger, I'm coming in." ”

As he spoke, he walked in cautiously with the two people behind him.

Their figures soon disappeared at the end of the mountain road.

Then there is silence.

The wind was blowing down along the mountain wall, making a whining sound, and seeing that the sky was about to darken, but there was no news, the people around lit torches, and the sticks and tarpaulins were wrapped in fire, making a sound of Bibo, making the silent mountain road seem more and more silent.

I don't know how long it took, my heart slowly became anxious, and I subconsciously said, "Why hasn't it come out yet?" ”

“……”

"No, what's wrong?"

Pei Yuanxiu's face never changed, but when I was anxious, he gently grabbed my hand covered with cold sweat: "Don't worry. ”

I glanced up at him, and his face was as calm as ever in the flickering firelight.

At this moment, I suddenly heard the people around me shouting: "Look, what is that?!" ”

As soon as I heard this, I hurried in the direction they were pointing and looked at the intersection above.